From Dubai Runways to LA Livestreams
Los Angeles has long been the world’s cultural magnet—and today it’s even drawing from the middle east. From Huda Kattan’s Billion-dollar personality-led brand to influencers like Anatoly and Blaze Wilde, the American west coast, in particular represents an unmatched cultural opportunity.
“People thought I was crazy,” Wilde admits. “They saw it as riches to rags. But to me, it was about moving from being somebody’s product to building my own platform. That’s what’s important in a content capital like LA.”
A Region of Rising Stars
The Gulf has been fertile ground for influencer culture. Snapchat dominated the region in the late 2010s, while TikTok has since created a new wave of digital celebrities. Influencers there became highly visible—but often under tight brand management and cultural restrictions.
- Huda Kattan, the Iraqi-American entrepreneur who turned her Dubai-based beauty blog into the billion-dollar Huda Beauty empire, showed how self-branding could go global.
- Anatoly, a UAE prankster with over 21 million TikTok followers, proves comedy content can dominate regional feeds.
- Abir El Saghir, a Lebanese food creator with more than 28 million followers, has shown how cooking videos can leap beyond language and borders.
Like Wilde, each illustrates the ambition to move from visibility to ownership.
Why LA Still Leads
No city rivals Los Angeles when it comes to cultural infrastructure. It sits at the intersection of Hollywood production, Silicon Valley tech, and a multicultural community of creators. TikTok houses its U.S. HQ here, YouTubers collaborate in sprawling studios, and Twitch streamers often parlay their followings into mainstream media.
For influencers from Dubai, Riyadh, or Beirut, LA isn’t just another destination—it’s the global reset button. Here, creators aren’t confined to campaigns; they write their own scripts, build their own brands, and collaborate across entertainment verticals.
From Catwalk to Controller
For Blaze Wilde, the transition was deeply personal. His first taste of LA came not from a plane ticket but from Grand Theft Auto V. The game’s sprawling virtual Los Santos gave him an idea of freedom and reinvention.
Trading tailored suits for gaming chairs, Wilde fused his runway instincts with Twitch’s interactive format. His streams blend fashion sensibility, neon visuals, and long-form gaming. What was once a catwalk has become a live digital stage.
Visibility vs. Voice
The Middle Eastern model of influence has been lucrative—but curated. Brand managers, agencies, and cultural norms often shape careers. In LA, the equation flips: voice comes first, then partnerships.
That difference explains the steady stream of talent willing to risk it all. The certainty of contracts is traded for the volatility of algorithms. But for many—including Twitch’s Blaze Wilde—the trade-off is worth it.
“Modeling gave me exposure,” Wilde reflects. “But streaming gave me expression.”
The New American Dream
From Huda’s billion-dollar brand to Abir’s food empire, Middle Eastern influencers are proving their talent transcends borders. Los Angeles, however, remains the proving ground where visibility becomes legacy.
Wilde’s story underscores the shift: from being cast in someone else’s campaign to building a community on his own terms. For him, and for a generation of creators, LA represents more than a city. It’s a symbol of reinvention, ownership, and the enduring allure of American freedom.
